Island



(No Model.)

S.BORTON. MANUFACTURE 0? ARTICLES FROM GUT KNIT FABRIC.

No. 456,470. Patented July 21, 1891.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STOCKTON HORTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLCOX & GIBBS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM CUT KNIT FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,470, dated July 21, 1891.

Application filed March 30,1891. Serial No. 387,010. (No specimens.)

,To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

de it known that I, STOCKTON BORTON, a resident of Providence, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Mannfacture of Articles from. Gut Knit Fabrics, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has reference to the mantr facture of underwear, hosiery, and similar articles from out knit fabrics, and may be regarded as an improvement upon the invention described and claimed in application of Christina P. Borton, filed April 22, 1890, Serial No. 348,977, and in my prior application filed May 2%,1890, Serial No. 353,042, according to which each cut edge to be joined was provided with a row of selvage, anchorage, or protective stitches, and the two pieces united by another line of stitches engaging and holding by the selvage, anchorage, or protective stitches.

The present invention has for its object the production of a practical and useful seam on cut knit goods by two operations. The result is not only a saving of one operation when two out edges are joined, but a seam is produced which for light-weight goods or for joining the ribbed band or cuff to the lighter body portion of a shirt is more desirable than that produced by said earlier methods. The new seam has more nearly the appearance of looping than the earlier seams.

According to this invention an artificial selvage or protectiveline of stitehesisfirstform ed on one only of the two edges to be joined. The pieces are then laid one upon the other, so that the raw edge projects beyond the protected edge. The formeris then trimmed ofi. on a line parallel with the latter, but at a little distance therefrom and the two edges united by overedge stitches, which pass through both layers within the protective stitches and around the projecting raw edge. As the stitches are tightened the thread draws or curls up the projecting edge, and

when the united pieces are flattened out the seam presents on the face of the goods a very neat and distinctive appearance. WVhen the two pieces that are joined together are of clifferent thickness, as when joining on the ribbed cuff, shirtband, or ankle portions of drawers, the protective stitches will be placed on the ribbed piece rather than on the body of the article. These stitches maybe formed on any suitable overedge, zigzag, straightahead, or two-needle machines, preferably provided with a trimming attachment.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure I is a plan View on an enlarged scale, showing a seam in course of formation. Fig. II is a cross-section of the same in the plane of the needle, and Fig. III a cross-section and perspective view showing the seam after completion and showing the positions of the respective edges when the united pieces are flattened out.

A represents a piece of fabric, upon the cut edge of which has been produced a row a of protective stitches. (Shown in this case as overedgc stitches.) The piece 13, which has a raw edge, is placed in such position that its said edge projects beyond the protected edge of piece A and beyond the path of oscillation of the needle D. The two pieces are fed to the needle in this position, the raw edge being trimmed off parallel to the protected edge by the trimmer-blade E, but leaving a margin projecting beyond it, as shown. The stitch-forming mechanism then unites the two edges, the thread 1) passing through both pieces of fabric, so as to engage and hold by the protective stitches a, and then over both edges in the well-known manner of making an overedge stitch. IVhen the thread I) is drawn tight, it draws or folds the projecting edge over toward the edge of the piece A, and when the seam is completed and the two pieces straightened out, as shown in Fig. III, the edges assume the positions represented in that figure.

It will be understood that the method above described may be carried out with the aid of different types of machines, and the invention is not to be regarded as limited to the use of machinery of any particular description.

I have shown for the purposes of illustration part of an overedge-machine, such as described in the application of Charles H. Willcox and Stockton Borton, filed May 24, 1890, Serial No. 353,091. The presser-foot F is shown as provided with a shocf, whose downwardlyin carrying the invention into effect.

projecting edge serves as a guide to the pro l tected edge of the upper piece of goods A.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed hat I claim as my invention, and desire i to secure by Letters Patent, is- I The combination, with two-pieces of cut fabric, of a row of protective stitches on or STOCKTON BORTON.

near one edge of one of said pieces, the adja- \Vitnesses: cent edge of the other piece being bent out J. PARMLY, of the plane of the body of the goods and S. HERMAN. 

